SNAP Overview and Advantages

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Government aid programs are very beneficial to families who have gone through hard times and need assistance because they cannot properly support their families on their own. It helps families with special needs and helps students receive a proper education. These resources give people opportunities to thrive instead of drowning in their own debt and prevents people from becoming homeless. With important outreach programs people can relearn how to work jobs and how to interview for jobs so that they are more prepared to go off of government aid once they receive a job in which the can support themselves with.

Job fairs are created to give the unemployed opportunities to reach out and make contacts with companies they could possibly work for in the future. It helps show people that can get a decent job and eventually support themselves. It also gets employers out there and gives them a chance to show people what they are looking for and gives them a wider pool to hire from. Government aid also helps parents go back and get a degree so they can get a higher paying job and help their children more. It allows people to get back on their feet and start making a change in a more positive way.

They should make it better in that once you sign up for it you should be required to put so much of it in savings and try to live off of the paycheck received more and more. A priority should be set on families especially with healthcare so that families are not afraid to take children to the hospital incase they cannot afford to pay for it.

Government aid should not pay for everything but help make parents lives a little easier and make the children not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from. It should especially be used to pay for education and pay for people to go back and receive degrees that are focused on their skill set and job they could work. How we improve our country is by improving how skills develop at a young age and constantly prepare them for job interviews and teach them how to handle finances so they know what they have to do once the get beyond public education. So many Americans get stuck in a cycle of debt because they do not understand the dangers of credit cards and interest rates. It is prominent in students just coming out of college and switching to spending their own money instead of their parents.

Government programs do a great deal to help people with financial difficulties. Government programs such as SNAP (Supplemental National Assistance Program) reach a large percentage of people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to adequately provide for themselves without the help i.e. families with children, senior citizens and people with disabilities. Providing sustenance for these groups of people allows the base for becoming productive citizens and keeps our country from joining the likes of third-world countries that allow their poor and needy to perish from starvation. SNAP also has a largely beneficial economic impact. Not only do the Food Stamps provide food for the individuals and families, it also frees up funds for these people to provide clothing, housing and further education/vocational training. These additional resources allow people who receive them to “pick themselves up by their boot straps.” Additionally, each dollar paid out through SNAP has a net-economic benefit to the nation’s GDP of $1.70. SNAP pay-outs act as a financial multiplier and help promote economic growth.

The US can improve the effectiveness of its SNAP and other similar nutritional assistance programs by removing inefficiencies in the programs. One of the largest inefficiencies is the overlap between SNAP and other smaller programs. This overlap allows some citizens to claim benefits beyond their base needs. This leads to money paid out through these programs to be used effectively by the citizens who receive them. Deleting this overlap would likely lead to a larger net economic benefit for the country. It would also leave more money to be distributed to a larger percentage of people. The USDA would be prudent to bring in a group of third party experts to study and monitor the programs. These experts would be able to provide oversight to the entire array of USDA food assistance programs and be better informed/able to find duplicity in distribution of funds. Another way to increase the efficiency of the program would be to improve/streamline the application and subsequent certification processes. Reducing the lead time to getting the assistance that these families need would quicken their individual economic recovery and the economic recovery of the nation as a whole.

In summary, I believe that many income-based government assistance programs (such as the Supplemental Assistance Program, Lifeline Assistance Program and others) go a long way in helping those that are truly in need. These programs go a long way in building the foundation of a productive and “normal” life for these disadvantaged individuals. There is some inefficiency in these programs, just like with any major multi-million dollar operation. Addressing these inefficiencies would just further promote the growth of the program itself, as well as the growth of those that receive the assistance. It would also allow others that are on the cusp of receiving benefits of these programs to become part of the inclusive group.

Government programs such as Lifeline Assistance Program, Food Stamps, and Medicaid help people with financial difficulties because they offer hope. Without these programs, desperate families and individuals may become homeless, children may starve, or worse yet, people will commit suicide because they have lost all hope. Three areas of concern are deadbeat parents, unforeseen circumstances, and improving the effectiveness of government benefit programs.

Deadbeat ParentsOne area of concern for taxpayers as well as the mothers and fathers are deadbeat parents. According to Steve Hargreaves of CNN Money, “Over $100 billion is owed in unpaid child support -- nearly half of that to taxpayers supporting children on public assistance” (Hargreaves, 2012). Low-income parents who depend on child support (82% women) have to be on some type of public assistance. “For poor mothers, child support payments represent 45% of their income, said Entmacher. Deadbeats are a big reason why 41% of households headed by single women are below the poverty level -- twice that for households headed by single men and nearly five times that for married couples” (Hargreaves, 2012). Government programs tremendously help these families maintain a life where they have a roof over their heads, food on the table, and where their children can stay in school.

Unforeseen CircumstancesFamilies can quickly get into financial trouble when unforeseen circumstances occur. Situations like job layoffs, victims of crimes, or even a death in the family can lead the family into financial and emotional distress. Government assistance programs can help families get back on their feet and restore hope. When the government helps a family in need, they restore the unity of the family. Healing the family, in turn, helps them to become productive members of society.

Government benefit programs such as Medicaid help low-income Americans including low-income children, adults, and non-elderly people with disabilities with medical coverage. One hot topic is the Affordable Care Act. According to Medicaid.gov, “The Affordable Care Act provides Americans with better health security by putting in place comprehensive health insurance reforms that will expand coverage, hold insurance companies accountable, lower health care costs, guarantee more choice, and enhance the quality of care for all Americans” (Affordable Care Act, 2014).

How Can We Improve The Effectiveness Of Government Benefit Programs?

A great way to improve the effectiveness of these programs is accessibility. Today, more families have computers and smartphones of some type. In addition, more companies and businesses are turning to mobile applications (apps) to help connect their programs to consumers. By making benefit programs more accessible and easy-to-use, families and individuals in need will be able to apply and receive assistance more quickly. Furthermore, by making these programs more user-friendly and easy-to-understand, ones in need will be able to discern which types of assistance would benefit them the most, thereby saving time and money.

In conclusion, deadbeat parents and unforeseen circumstances can lead families or individuals into financial distress and even poverty. By making government benefits programs more accessible, those families or individuals can receive the right type of assistance and fast. In sum, government benefit programs offer hope and bring stability to the economy.